The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,

Recalling paragraph 3 of Article 18 of the Protocol on the consideration of the need for and modalities of developing standards with regard to identification, handling, packaging and transport practices for transboundary movements of living modified organisms,

Welcoming the outcomes from the Online Forum on Standards for Shipments of Living Modified Organisms,

1.Requests the Executive Secretary to:

(a)Continue following developments in standards related to the handling, transport, packaging and identification of living modified organisms and to report to the Parties at their sixth meeting on any such developments. The report should include information on developments in standard-setting on the sampling and detection of living modified organisms;

(b)Disseminate the results of the Online Forum on Standards for Shipments of Living Modified Organisms, including information about potential gaps in international standards, to relevant organizations;

(c)Organize regional workshops for: (i) heads of laboratories involved in the detection of living modified organisms to exchange information and experience on the implementation of relevant standards and methods; and (ii) customs officers requiring capacity in the sampling and detection of living modified organisms further to paragraph 10 of decision BS-III/10 and paragraph 3 of decision BS-IV/9;

(d)Commission a study to analyse information on existing standards, methods and guidance relevant to the handling, transport, packaging and identification of living modified organisms and to make the study available for consideration by the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol. This study should address in particular:

(i)Possible gaps in existing standards, guidance and methods;

(ii) Ways to facilitate cooperation with relevant organisations;

(iii)Guidance on the use of existing international regulations and standards;

(iv)The possible need for the elaboration of standards for handling, transport, packaging and identification of living modified organisms;

2.Invites standard-setting bodies to form an electronic communications group with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity to exchange information on activities relevant to the handling, transport, packaging and identification of living modified organisms being undertaken in each forum;

3.Invites the International Plant Protection Convention to collaborate with the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity in the development of an explanatory document on the terminology of the Protocol in relation to the glossary of phytosanitary terms adopted by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures;

4.Requests Parties and encourages other Governments and relevant organizations, as appropriate, to make available to the Biosafety Clearing-House information on:

(a)Standards relevant to the handling, transport, packaging and identification of living modified organisms;

(b)Existing guidance on the use of relevant international standards;

(c)Methods for the detection and identification of living modified organisms;

5.Invites Parties to nominate national and international reference laboratories with the view to establishing, through the Biosafety-Clearing House, an electronic network of laboratories to facilitate the identification of living modified organisms as well as the sharing of information and experiences.